Mortlach Exclusive Auction – Whisky Auctioneer
About the auction
- This is the World’s first Exclusive Mortlach Auction – ‘Mortlach: Through the Ages’
- The auction goes live today, Thursday 18 March, and will end on Monday evening. exclusive online sale hosted by market leaders, Whisky Auctioneer.
- 70 bottles of the distillery’s treasured expressions will become available – presenting what will likely be the first opportunity for many whisky lovers to explore some of the distillery’s elusive vintages for themselves, and for collectors as an alternative investment.
- One of the headline bottles in the auction is #1 (of just 94 bottles) of the Mortlach 47 Year Old – an extremely rare vintage release in 2019 and signed by Master Blender, Dr. Craig Wilson. It is the oldest single malt expression ever to be released directly from the distillery. It is also the first expression in a new series from the Speyside distillery named ‘The Singing Stills’.
- Collectors will also have the chance to bid on a spectacular collection of independent Mortlach bottlings, most notably from Gordon & MacPhail. Vintages up for grabs date as far back as 1936 from iconic labels such as Connoisseurs Choice, Private Collection and Book of Kells. Other independent bottlers featured include Douglas Laing, Signatory Vintage and Cadenhead’s.
- The auction is primarily composed of bottles from Pat’s Whisk(e)y Collection – the largest private whisky collection to ever come to auction. Pat’s Collection is being auctioned by Whisky Auctioneer over the course of several months due to its sheer size.
- Pat’s 9,000 bottle collection features complete collections of iconic collector’s series such as The Rare Malts Selection and Manager’s Choice.
- Within the current Mortlach Exclusive Auction, bidders can find a complete set of expressions from the Rare Malts Selection alongside cult bottlings such as the sought-after Flora and Fauna 16, 19 Year Old Manager’s Dram and Manager’s Choice.
About Mortlach Distillery
- Founded in 1823 and was the first distillery in the burgh of Dufftown, which now produces more whisky than any other Scottish town.
- Mortlach was the first of Dufftown’s ‘Seven Stills’ to be licensed and rose to pre-eminence under George Cowie & Son.
- It remained a largely unknown single malt brand outside of its devoted whisky circles until recent years, when Mortlach launched a new core range of single malts.
- Mortlach has a long standing eccentric distillation practice which has remained unchanged for two centuries, and is unlike anywhere else in Scotland. Distilled 2.81 times in a combination of six copper stills varying in shape and size, Mortlach’s resulting meaty spirit is considered a bit of a wild card in terms of a Speyside whisky – a region most often associated with a floral and fruity spirit character.
- This unusual production was perfected by Dr. Alexander Cowie in 1896. Vapours from distillation are cooled in traditional worm tub condensers, now unusual in the industry, before the spirit runs through a tangle of copper pipes positioned at exact angles.
- It’s said to take a stillman 6 months to perfect this practice and is part of what makes Mortlach an extremely distinctive and curious single malt.
Joe Wilson, Head of Auction Content at Whisky Auctioneer said: “This is the first time that a collection of Mortlach has been offered in a dedicated online auction, and it’s incredible to be able to offer our international customer base so many of the distillery’s expressions that have long been under the radar. For decades, much of Mortlach’s robust spirit was quickly snapped up by whisky blenders and connoisseurs ‘in the know’, so we know that whisky fans will be excited to see this treasure trove of bottles become available.
“Among the bottles up for grabs is the #1 of the rare Mortlach 47 Year Old – the oldest expression to be released by the distillery to date. The collection also includes complete series’ such as the Rare Malts Selection, and bottles from iconic independent bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail including vintages dating as far back as 1936.
“Our Mortlach: Through the Ages auction marks a significant opportunity for both passionate whisky lovers looking to try this iconic single malt for themselves, and for collectors that have been eagerly waiting for the chance to get their hands on these bottles to add to their collection.”
To register to take part in Whisky Auctioneer’s Exclusive Mortlach Auction, visit www.whiskyauctioneer.com
